Eight Years Gone

"Where have you been all these years? Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" Howard Quinn yelled at me, stopping me in my path.

His eyes gleamed maniacally as I looked worriedly at my son, Charlie Jerome, clearing the trash nearby.

Howard's friends stood in front of me, glowering at me angrily.

"You heartless woman! How could you be so cruel?"

"Do you know that Howard had stayed single all these years because of you?"

I ran away eight years ago when I was pregnant. Howard had never forgotten about me, constantly trying to find me. His friends were angry on his behalf.

"We thought you would be doing well after leaving Howard. Who would have thought that you'd end up being a cleaner?"

"That's right. If it weren't for Howard helping you, you were destined to end up being a cleaner anyway. This is what you get for running away!"

Howard furrowed his brows, seemingly affected by the comments.

"Nina, how have you been the past eight years?"

I clutched the red safety vest on me, feeling a sudden wave of emotions. After leaving Howard, I lived in the draftiest of basements, drinking the dregs of others' meals, and laid on the operating table feeling desolate and uncared for.

Luckily, everything was over.

A few of Howard's friends smirked.

"Now, do you know how good Howard is?"

"Why don't you kneel and beg him for forgiveness? Perhaps, if he's in a good mood, he'll forgive you."

They sniggered and looked at me lewdly.

Howard remained silent, having no intention of stopping them.

Charlie thought that I was being assaulted. He quickly rushed over with clenched fists and glared at the men. "Don't you dare lay a finger on my Mommy!"

I was afraid he would get over agitated, so I immediately pulled him into my arms, comforting him, "Charlie, don't worry. I'm fine."

Charlie had the same aloof expression as Howard, so Howard immediately recognized his own son.

He looked at him tenderly. "Charlie, is it? I'm your father. Come and let Daddy have a look at you."

Howard gently reached his hands out to Charlie, but Charlie smacked them away and yelled, "You're not my Daddy! My Daddy is the chairman of the Larson Group! He will always protect Mommy and I! You're just a bad man!"

The chairman of the Larson Group, Ian Larson, was a rising magnate of Kappa City. Even the older wealthy families had no choice but to respect him. He was someone who even a man like Howard could barely gain an audience with, much less me.

Howard's expression darkened instantly.

"Is this how you educate your son? Full of lies, vain and shameless? He doesn't even know how to acknowledge his father!"

Howard was sure that I harbored ill intent, deliberately teaching my son to call another man his Daddy.

What he did not know was how Charlie was teased in school because he did not have a father.

Charlie was also diagnosed with autism, which made it difficult for him to have normal social interactions.

If it was not for Ian's patient care and companionship, and me telling Charlie that Ian was his father, I could not bear to think how much pain Charlie would be in.

As expected, tears started welling up in Charlie's eyes as he got agitated.

"I'm not lying! I'm not a liar! You're the liar! You're the…"

Howard snatched Charlie from me and glared at him. "Is this how your mother brought you up? To be so rude to your father?"

"What are you doing?! Don't scare him!"

I was about to console Charlie when Howard shoved me away.

"Look at him! Selfish and full of lies! He's nothing like anyone in the Quinn family! He's like that because of you! I'll have to properly teach him a lesson!"

Charlie's cheeks puffed angrily as he bit on Howard's hand. In a flicker of fury, Howard slapped Charlie without thinking.